On Baronial 13th, 2004, the offset week of my senior twelvemonth of loftier school, Hurricane Charley barreled into the Gulf of United mexican states, fabricated a xc° plow, and proceeded to ravage my hometown. So watching the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey actually takes me dorsum to living through it myself.

Charley claimed fifteen lives, acquired 16 billion dollars in harm, and destroyed my home besides as high school. Needless to say, tensions were high and there was a common sentiment that the yr would be a waste. Just our teachers had other ideas.

Equally a teacher now myself, I think back to that turbulent year through a different lens, and recognize some of the work teachers did to make schoolhouse non only meaningful and engaging, but extraordinary. Now, every bit we look at the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I have no dubiousness that teachers in Houston and across are doing the aforementioned things.

Thanks for being flexible.

I recall back to my senior yr, and pretty much every student and teacher had a completely different classroom and supplies. At that place would have been aplenty opportunities to complain and bemoan the changes, but I practise non remember a single instance where a instructor complained in front end of students. Instead they made the space work.

I know you will exist facing many of these challenges in the months ahead. It won't exist easy. But similar all teachers, yous'll find a mode to make it work.

Give thanks you for being creative.

The English teachers created their ain reading nooks; the science teachers used whatsoever was available in labs; math teachers taught from different textbooks. There was zip easy nearly these changes, simply the teachers modeled for their students how to adjust.

My feel from more than than a decade agone is no unlike than what's happening today. This is what we as teachers do. We make learning fun, creative, and engaging for students … no affair the circumstance.

Thanks for education effectually the clock.

After about a month, they finally turned the power back on in my family's FEMA trailer, and we were able to render to school. Yet, since our schooled was razed by the storm, we had to nourish schoolhouse in the afternoon and evening at the rival high schoolhouse on the other side of town. This meant our rivals ( fierce rivals) had to go to schoolhouse in the morn starting at 5:30 am. On top of this, the town had serious looting, toll gouging, curfews, and armed National Guard soldiers stationed at every major intersection.

In the months ahead, I'grand sure you're going to find yourself being an educator 24/7. It will probably be 1 of your most challenging years ever, but I know you'll requite students what they need and whenever they demand it.

Thanks for uplifting spirits.

I remember one day when I came into school, the windows to one of our classrooms was smashed and my teacher's supplies were all over the room. A student from the rival school had committed the crime, and he had taken his acrimony out on united states. My friends and I were humid with acrimony, and nosotros wanted revenge. Just our teacher, with timely wisdom, stepped in and said, "Let's just see this problem as an opportunity. Permit'southward show them that we will not be broken."

Now I know the months alee are not going to be easy, and every unmarried educator is going to have their limits tested. Still, yous will still exist there to lift the spirits of your students every single day.

Cheers for not making excuses.

There was a constant temptation that twelvemonth to make excuses. "I can't do my homework considering I was living in a regime-funded, two room trailer with six other people." "The football players can't practice because their field and gear was destroyed." "I am besides tired to work past sixth hour because information technology is 6:30 at night."

These excuses were valid and I think every pupil in our school had them. Merely the teachers were not having whatever of it. The standards and expectations were not lowered a trace for students that yr. We were taught that there is no excuse to not work hard and persevere through adversity. Due dates were nevertheless kept, detentions all the same given out, tests nonetheless administered, and the football game team fifty-fifty adept at a local farm for a while until their practice field was restored.

Every bit the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey unfolds and the needs grow, I know the teachers will movement forrad and brand magic happen when it comes to working hard, learning, and rebuilding.

Cheers for giving u.s. all hope.

My senior year was not what I expected information technology to be. It was a twelvemonth of toil, discomfort, confusion, and chaos. But it was also a year of endurance, patience, resilience, and hope. Looking dorsum, I practise not think I could have described it that manner without my teachers. And as a teacher now myself, I meet the value of having an uplifting spirit with my students. And I know the power of perseverance, and that my students take the power to overcome adversity, no matter what obstacle is in their mode.

Even a hurricane.